Crazy Price on New 22” WSM


 

Vasilios K

New member
So Saturday my wife and I went to visit our favorite landscape store. They also have a big outdoor living section with all the Weber grills. Sometimes we’re passing through to just pick up something for our kettle grill cooking.

Now I wasn’t looking to buy anything but my wife said “Holy Cow!” for the price of a Weber 22” Smoker. She said come look and as I saw they tag, I told her this must be a mistake. The manager was walking by and verified with that department manager that the price is correct.

Now prior to seeing this price, I told my wife the other day with owning a 26” kettle, maybe we will be best in a few months buying the 18” WSM, if anything for being less expensive and it’s ok if it’s smaller.

They informed me that the Weber 22” (part #731001) was being discontinued (hard to believe) and it’s a close out price by Weber. Didn’t sound right but I said okay. The 18” was tagged at the retail price of $329. The 22” was reduced to $295.00 sitting side by side.

Walked out the door with a brand new one in a sealed box and it came home with us.
 
Thanks! We are still surprised at the price and for the reason they gave us. Now Weber May be discontinuing the 22” but think more the store didn’t want to stock it.
 
I was surprised recently to read here how many people use and recommend the smaller WSMs. We have had two 22s for many years now even though it's just the two of us. But I am still surprised that Weber is discontinuing the 22.

On a related note, Brian was recently shocked when I told him how much the 22s were currently selling for.
 
Nice find!
I'm not buying their explanation though, it's up to the stores to discount what probably wasn't selling well, if at all.
They buy the products from Weber, as far as I know Weber never discounts anything unless it's on their website.
 
Yes, I’m far more inclined to think that the store is dropping the item. For a company to drop a proven moneymaker from the line lift this is not very likely.
People are often more prone to,tell,this kind,of story when they don’t know any of the real facts. Some “big box” stores indeed teach sales staff to know where information is on the box so they can “seem” smarter than the customer. I’ve had that foolishness pulled on me AFTER I’ve spent a significant amount of time doing the research only to be attempted to be impressed by a “knowledgeable sales professional” who can’t navigate the places own site or packaging!
Maybe I’m just being “Cranky pants”?
 
If it wasn’t for the price, we probably would have bought the 18”. But I can’t complain at all.

We didn’t believe their reasoning and do believe it’s more they don’t want to stock them. Maybe for them it’s a poor seller.

What’s Weber going to do if they discontinue it? Replace it bc the replaced model has wheels and handles?
 
Great score! You will not he sorry! I bought my 22 on clearance from Ace for 299 & my 18 from home depot for 99. I got them both for what the 22 retailed for alone.
I fired up the biggin yesterday for 5.5 lbs of beef jerky.
 
I seriously doubt Weber is discontinuing it. More likely the store is. They are probably clearing out stock for the spring.
 
Timothy -
I agree with all you wrote. I used to have my business and be in retail along with services offered.

My wife thinks I’m too critical when I come across an idiot employee at some store. I blame more management for lack of training properly.

My local landscape store are good people. But I did see them struggle as to why the price was at $295. They definitely don’t lack the space. Just probably not a good seller for them. If it wasn’t for the find, an 18” would have been in my back yard in about two months.

Yesterday I was in Sam’s Club and they have on sale Kingsford Charcoal, two 19.5 bags for $14. So I picked up $30 worth. 👍
 
Just looked at the information label in the corner of the box. Unit was made in 10/2017. So apparently they were looking to move old inventory.
 
Lots of poorly trained sales people out there, I get really exasperated with bad staff.
Probably the best car salesman I’ve ever dealt with just retired, none of the staff at the dealership are anywhere near the caliber he was! I’m sad to see him gone. Glad he could retire but, I will miss him.
He was really happy when I dropped off some pulled pork! There now that rant has some smoking commentary.
 
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Pricing is not left up to the store in all situations. Some, but not all, especially in big box retail. Often it's not based on individual store inventory, but inventory on certain items company wide. Store personnel would do no more in these situations than activate a price change in the system. There would be no explanation to them as to why, and it would probably happen on several different items in unrelated categories all over the store at once, so the associates would simply be doing there jobs. I’ve run across my share of skeptics in my retail career. A colleague was questioned by a customer once as to why the price of milk in our store was so low. He began to wonder if it was even real milk. The simple answer was that within a mile were 2 other competitors, and we all drove the price down by stealing each other’s prices and lowering it a penny to be cheaper than the rest. In the case of the WSM,
some stores only stock the 18 and will order the 22 if requested by a customer. The store doesn’t dedicate space to something that only sporadically sales, rather opting to get it from their distribution network whenever needed. It’s likely, as someone here mentioned, just making room for something that might not hang around on the shelf as long between buyers.
 
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In regards to many companies, like Weber, have MAP Policies (Mnimum Advertising Pricing) is all about how a product is allowed to be advertised for sale in print, emails, brochures, online and even on auction sites. Many businesses simply adopt that as bible for what it can be sold for and that is not true. Just easier for them trying to max out profit from each sale. The Policy is for how it is advertised for sale only. If a store prices something on the DL (like I came across) or a verbal agreement is made, then it doesn’t violate anything regardless Big Box or Small Box.

When I had my retail business, I dealt with MAP Policies from many manufacturers. My walk in traffic was high bc people knew we were verbally flexible with a sale always beating out our local competitors.
 
Well I bought it at the store in Elk Grove. When I left Sunday they had one left NIB.The Landscape Store has several locations around Sacramento. There is one in Roseville and one in Rocklin. The one in Rocklin next to the Walmart may carry it. Roseville doesn’t. And I’m not referring to California Backyard, the over priced store.

Message me directly if you want more info.
 
In the case of the WSM,
some stores only stock the 18 and will order the 22 if requested by a customer. The store doesnÂ’t dedicate space to something that only sporadically sales, rather opting to get it from their distribution network whenever needed. ItÂ’s likely, as someone here mentioned, just making room for something that might not hang around on the shelf as long between buyers.

My local store doesn't even have a display for them anymore. Although they have one 18 left in a box.

This is something I've been noticing for the past decade. Many stores have been reducing selection and dedicating floor or shelf space to the items that sell the best. Not realizing that you need a complete selection if you want to at least even draw people into your store.

In my own case this is partly what has driven me to more and more internet shopping to get things I want. Walmart has almost nothing worth buying today it's cheap garbage, years ago they carried some decent name brand stuff. Now it's all Walmart brand stuff and maybe one other brand of some kind.

Anyway this kind of thinking is what's putting brick-and-mortar stores out of business in my mind. If I can't find things and look at them and touch them I'm just going to order them online. If I can't get it for a good price I'm just going to order it online too. I sure as hell don't need somebody else to do it for me this isn't 1975. And I'm sure as heck not going to run around town to half a dozen places looking for some place that might have what I want. From experience, I know I can't count on most of these stores to have what I need anymore.

Walmart even totally gets rid of departments seasonally now.


If I can't find things and look at them and touch them I'm just going to order them online myself , have it the day after tomorrow. Amazon delivers to my house almost every day of the month now. Almost every day.

My brother's wife orders most of their groceries online also .
 
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Same goes for Big Box. In my area, for instance, there are about five different Lowe’s and Home adopt stores each. I can go to one store vs the other and find different inventory, floor plans, displays. So I make note all the time what I saw where if I need to go pick something up.
 

 

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